Gay shemale causes stir in court

Leonard Ncube Court Reporter
A PROMINENT gay activist turned heads at the Bulawayo Magistrates’ Court by appearing before magistrates in a female dress.
Ricky Nathanson, 48, who runs a modelling agency in the city usually wears female dresses and applies make-up. He publicly admits being gay.

He appeared in court yesterday on charges of criminal nuisance after he was arrested for entering a female toilet at a city hotel.

Nathanson was wearing a long, sleeveless black dress, female shoes with a long hairpiece and make-up. Scores of people thronged the courtroom to follow proceedings in the case.

Before court proceedings started, officials from different courts and government departments housed at Tredgold Building could be seen visiting the corridor leading to Court 2 where Nathanson was waiting – perhaps to see for themselves as news spread that he was in court.

Nathanson, who appeared composed, was accompanied by a group of both males and females, most of them mixed race or white.

When he left the court building, scores of people most of them vendors who trade their wares in front of the building followed him from behind until he entered a Toyota Rav 4 vehicle parked outside and drove off.

“We’ve always heard that there are gay people, but I didn’t think a man can transform himself into a woman like this,” said a shocked airtime vendor.

In court, Nathanson’s lawyer Tanaka Muganyi told magistrate Abednico Ndebele that the charges laid against his client were non-existent according to law.

“There’s no crime here. If nothing is done by the State on the next remand date, we will apply for refusal of remand,” said Muganyi.

“The State had indicated that it would further investigate or decline to prosecute because the charge is non-existent but nothing has been done.”

Muganyi claimed that Nathanson had also left his place of residence in Barham Green to an unnamed house because “he was threatened with unspecified action by the complainant within the court premises.”

A warrant of arrest was issued against Farai Mteliso, who effected a citizen’s arrest, for defaulting and Ndebele also warned his friends not to interfere with the trial.

Nathanson, will return to court on February 4 and is out of custody.

Prosecuting, Concilia Ncube told how on Thursday at about 5.50PM, Nathanson entered the female toilet intending to relieve himself.

While inside, some patrons who were drinking beer at the hotel noticed that he was a man and raised the alarm.

Mteliso led a citizen’s arrest and they took Nathanson to Bulawayo Central Police Station.

The court was told that the police referred Nathanson to the United Bulawayo Hospital where it was proved that he is a transgender and biologically male resulting in criminal charges being laid against him.

Homosexuality is illegal in Zimbabwe and President Mugabe is on record saying those who practise it are worse than dogs and pigs.